willybfriendly - 4:41 pm on Feb 12, 2009 (gmt 0)

I don't see anywhere that you have specified in your contract with them the number of hours you will work.

In my maintenance contracts I have always included an upper limit on hours. For example, $1500/yr for up to 40 hours. Additional time billed at $60/hr. Minimum 1 hour charge per occurence, but thereafter billed by the quarter hour.

This helps to prevent the kind of project creep you have described.

If you are a contractor, then it may be time to renegotiate your contract and put an hourly limit on your time commitment.

Chances are they have no real grasp of the time you are committing to this contract. Your failure to put an hourly limit on the contract simply exacerbates the problem.

Good luck!